RG Kar Medical College and Hospital became the epicentre of chaos and fear on the night of August 14-15 when a massive mob, estimated to number between 5000 and 10000, stormed the campus, vandalising property and creating widespread panic among the staff and students.
The mob, which security personnel and resident doctors suspect had dual motives of disrupting a peaceful protest and tampering with evidence, left behind a trail of destruction that has sparked serious concerns about safety and accountability even after the recent rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate medical trainee.
The trouble began around 11 PM when students of RG Kar Medical College were holding a peaceful ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest march, led primarily by women.
A security guard on duty at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital during last night’s vandalisation recounted the harrowing events.
"Around 1 a.m., a crowd of 500-1000 people gathered. We locked the gate, but they broke it down. We retreated to another gate, but they breached that too. There were too many of them, just 10-12 of us and the police. We were no match. They stormed in and vandalized everything—computers, medicines, even the CCTV cameras," he said.
The march was intended to proceed toward the Shyambazar area, located a few kilometres from the hospital.
However, the situation escalated rapidly when a large group of outsiders, believed to be local goons, broke through the barricades and forced their way onto the campus.
Aniket Mahato, a doctor and a member of the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) at RG Kar, recounted the terrifying sequence of events.
"They were too many, we were outnumbered. We locked the gates, but they broke them down. The mob then proceeded to vandalise everything in their path - from computers to medicines. Even the CCTV cameras were not spared," ," he said.
According to Mahato, the mob had a clear agenda, "Their first motive was to disrupt the peaceful protest that was being conducted by the students. The second, more sinister, motive appeared to be tampering with evidence related to the ongoing investigation into the medical trainee's murder."
Eyewitness accounts describe a chaotic scene, with the mob wreaking havoc across the campus.
The protest stage was destroyed, and several key hospital areas, including the emergency, ENT, trauma, and gynecology wards, were ransacked.
The mob even entered the ladies' and men's hostels, instilling fear among the residents. Several protesters sustained minor injuries during the rampage.
Despite the gravity of the situation, police presence at the scene was inadequate, and those who were present allegedly did little to prevent the violence.
"The police stood there as bystanders while the mob ran amok," said one eyewitness.
"We called senior police officials to ask for help, but they didn’t respond. The junior officers on the ground told us that they were not responsible for our protection," he added.
As the violence unfolded, a series of frantic messages from trapped students began circulating online, highlighting the sense of helplessness and fear that gripped the campus.
"Please save us, sir, we may die here," read one message from a student on a group chat.
Another student claimed he had to hide to avoid being targeted by the mob. "Mob RG Kar e dhuke poreche, amake khujche. Jodi safe thaki contact korbo pore (A mob has entered RG Kar and is looking for me. If I am safe, I will contact you later)," read his message in Bengali.
In the aftermath of the attack, initial reports suggested that the crime scene and critical evidence had been destroyed. However, the Kolkata Police quickly issued a statement refuting these claims.
"Crime of Scene is Seminar Room and it has not been touched. Don’t spread unverified news. We will initiate legal action for spreading rumours," the police said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
Despite the police's reassurances, the sense of unease among the medical community remains palpable.
The destruction of property and the possibility of evidence tampering have raised serious questions about the security arrangements at the hospital and the police's role in ensuring the safety of the staff and students.
The doctors at RG Kar look determined to continue their fight for justice, despite the destruction caused by the mob.
"Even though the podium has been destroyed, we will find a way to press our demands," said Mahato.
"They [the mob] have destroyed everything, so we can't continue emergency or OPT services for now, but we will not be silenced," he further added.
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